Working abroad can mean anything from:
- Getting a summer job abroad as a part-time waitress before you commence your fall semester abroad,
- Gaining an internship with a global corporation.
- Teaching Aids awareness to people in Malawi through a volunteer program abroad like the Peace Corps.
Whether you work or volunteer abroad you’ll gain a better understanding of your host country’s culture and become more proficient in their language.
You’ll also separate yourself from your competition as you gain valuable life experiences that will continue to benefit you throughout your career.
Why Volunteer Abroad?
When you volunteer abroad you decide to help your fellow man with gratitude as payment. But the experience you’ll have is worth much more than money because:
- When you decide to make a difference in the world you’ll return a changed person.
- You’ll get to experience a culture very unlike your own, especially when you volunteer abroad in an impoverished nation like many in Africa or South America.
- You’ll also gain life skills that you might not get otherwise.
There are many different ways you can volunteer abroad.
The first is to volunteer with organizations established to better living conditions for the less fortunate and in developing nations.
Organizations such as these below are all reputable organizations that can provide placement to volunteers throughout the world:
Since you won’t receive compensation for most volunteer programs abroad, and you may have to provide for your own transportation, lodging and food, you must have a financial plan. Although volunteering abroad is very noble, you need to assess whether you can feasibly afford to live in a foreign country working for free.
Even with the savings you can find on travel through a service like STA Travel or on international calling through a company like Communications Fidelity you still may need financial help.
If you’re resourceful and apply many grants and other types of financial aid are available. The U.S. government even offers some federal student loan forgiveness to Peace Corps volunteers.
Want a Summer Job Abroad? Join a Workcamp
Want a summer job abroad that you’ll never forget? Get a job in a workcamp.
Workcamps are a great way to:
- Live in another country
- Get to know its people
- Learn their culture and language better
These short-term volunteer opportunities, such as those available through the organization Volunteers for Peace, usually provide food and shelter in exchange for a nominal fee and your hard work.
What you’ll get in exchange is an unforgettable experience where you’ll live and work with other foreign volunteers for a few weeks. Together you’ll help to make the lives of people in developing nations better.
Experience Overseas
Work experience abroad can be gained in many different ways ranging from internships and volunteering to direct employment with a foreign company. When you decide to work abroad you are broadening your horizons and building a great foundation for your career.
For ideas on gaining work experience overseas, click here.
Volunteer with Organizations
Enlist in a volunteer program abroad for a life-changing chapter of your life. Whether you help to immunize children from preventable diseases, build bridges and dams in flood-damaged villages or help rebuild orphanages in war torn countries, you will be doing something good for the world and for yourself.
For a list of organizations you can volunteer with, click here.
Internships Abroad
An internship abroad is an exciting way to get to know a foreign country, its people and its language. It’s not a bad thing to put on an entry-level resume either. Because an internship abroad can teach you volumes about the working world, and the world at large.
Click here for more information on obtaining an internship abroad.
